


Almost Too Late

by AddictedtoFiction03



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bobby worried about his son, Car Accident, Confessions, Eddie needs a hug, Family, Fire Fam - Freeform, First Kiss, Love, M/M, Multi, Pre-Slash, They all need a hug, buddie, major angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-18 02:23:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21520336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AddictedtoFiction03/pseuds/AddictedtoFiction03
Summary: After making sure that he had everything, Buck closed it locker, pulling his jacket over his broad shoulders. He reached into his pocket for his keys, walking through the station to his key. Buck was almost to the doors when he heard his name being called. Buck turned around to see his Captain marching towards him and appeared to be pissed off about something.What did he do now?or Buck slams into a telephone pole after a long shift at the firehouse.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Athena Grant, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Maddie Buckley & Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 105
Kudos: 647





	1. Chapter One

_Chapter One_

After making sure that he had everything, Buck closed it locker, pulling his jacket over his broad shoulders. He reached into his pocket for his keys, walking through the station to his car. Buck was almost to the doors when he heard his name being called. Buck turned around to see his Captain marching towards him and appeared to be pissed off about something.

What did he do now?

Buck went through his mental checklist, trying to see if he missed something on his job list. But nothing stood out to him. So what could this be about?

“Yes?” he asked him when Bobby stopped in front of him.

“Are you leaving without telling me?” Bobby asked him. His tone was cold as ice. It was always cold whenever Bobby would speak to him. Or anyone the crew members. Not that he blamed him. He understood that it was going to take some time for them to move forward. Buck was prepared to give them as much time as they needed. “You know you are supposed to let me know when your shift is over.” He reminded him like a small child.

“No,” Buck shook his head. “I was taking my stuff to my car before I came to talk to you.”

“Good. I am just making sure that you are following my rules. Did you finish your list?”

Buck nodded. “Everything is checked off and ready to go for the next call, Cap,” he assured him. “Anything else that you need me to do before I leave?” 

Bobby pursed his lips. “I can’t think of anything as of right now,” he said, sticking his hand into his pockets. “Now get out of here before I change my mind.” Bobby turned around without another word. 

Buck watched as Bobby took the stairs to the upper deck, where he could smell dinner being prepared. His stomach growled at the sound of food, but he knew that he wouldn’t be invited to the table. Buck couldn’t remember the last time he had sat at that table, laughing as stories were being swapped. He missed it. Buck could see Hen and Eddie standing about, talking to each other. Eddie had his phone out, showing it to Hen. It was probably a picture of Christopher. Man, he missed that kid. He missed everyone, including Maddie. Maybe, he could call Maddie to see if she wanted to get a bite to eat but changed his mind. Chimney would be getting off in an hour or so, which meant they were probably were doing something together later. And he wasn’t in the mood to watch his sister and Chimney give each other longing looks. 

“Look, it’s the traitor.”

It was Lemley. A firefighter that he had never gotten along with since he first started at the station. 

Buck closed his eyes, walking out of the station, ignoring the sneer floating his way. He wasn’t up for any confrontation at the moment, and he knew it would only cause him more trouble in the end. He rounded the corner into the parking area and could have cried in relief at the sight of his beautiful jeep. That would take him to his dark lonely apartment where he would hear his neighbor get his fuck on with the flavor of the night while Buck stared at his wall drowning in his sorrows.

“Hey, I was talking to you. Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore people?”

Buck let out of sigh frustration. Of course, they would follow him out to his car, because verbally abusing him throughout the day wasn’t enough, right? Buck was opening his door when a pair of hands shoved him, making him lose his balance, causing him to drop his stuff, but he didn’t hit the ground because apparently, Lemely wasn’t done.

“Look at me, you little piece of shit,” Lemely growled, grabbing this front of his jacket, slamming him into the jeep. The force of the impact knocked the oxygen out of his lungs. 

Lemley inched his face saying very biting words..“You are the worst thing that happened to this department. They waste their time with you when they could be training someone who deserves this job.”

“What is going on here?”

The new voice made both men look towards the sound to see Hen, walking her way to them. The deep frown on her face told Buck that she wasn’t happy with what she was seeing.

Hen shook her head. “I know I didn’t just see you throw that boy against that car,” she said, glaring at Lemley. 

Lemley rolled his eyes. “Isn’t there somewhere you need to me? Like at home with your wife and son?”

“You don’t need to worry about where I need to be. You let that young man go right now,” Hen ordered him. Lemley didn’t listen, so Hen tried a different route. “Take your hands off of him before I go inside and get the Captain. Better yet,” Hen reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone, holding it up, “How about I just send this lovely picture to him right now?”

Lemley chuckled. “Don’t shower me with empty threats. You won’t be able to prove anything,” he challenged her. “I know you didn’t take the picture.”

“What do you call this?” Hen asked him, turning the phone around so he could that she did have a photo of them on her phone. “All I have to do is press send, and I will do it if you don’t let him go in the next five seconds.”

“Fine,” Lemley huffed, letting Buck go with a rough shove into the car. “I am tired of looking at this ass kisser anyway. You are a disgrace to the society that is humanity.”

“That’s enough,” Hen snapped, stepping in between the two men. “Get out of here before I call the police to come and have them arrest you for assault. You will lose your job as a firefighter, so step away before I have to make that call.”

Lemley gave her a dirty look before turning around on his heels, disappearing into the rows of cars. Hen kept her eyes on his figure until she could no longer see him in the shadows of the streetlights. 

Hen turned around, placing a hand on to Buck’s shoulder. “Are you okay?” she asked him. Her voice loving and kind as always.

Buck dropped his head into the palm of his hand. “Yeah,” he said gruffly, turning his eyes up to her. “You didn’t have to do that.”

Hen narrowed her brown orbs at him. “Yes, I did. How long has this been going on? Why haven’t you said anything to Bobby? He would put a stop to it.”

Yeah, Bobby would if Buck hadn’t royally disappointed him by suing him. He probably wouldn’t even care at this point. Bobby would only speak to him if it were necessary, and that was it.

“No,” Buck said, shaking his head. “I’m not telling Bobby, and you can’t tell anyone either. I don’t want to cause any more problems than I already have. It’s nothing that I don’t deserve, Hen.” He said brokenly, tossing the stuff into the backseat. 

Hen winced at his hurt filled tone. “You don’t deserve this, Buckaroo,” she told him softly as her eyes dropped to the container in her hand, reminding her of the reason she came out here in the first place. “Here,” she said, passing it to him.

“What is it?”

“I managed to sneak a few things while they weren’t looking,” she confessed with a gentle shrug of her shoulders. “Make sure you eat every bite because you look like to have been missing a lot of meals lately.”

Buck opened the lid to see an enormous amount of steaming hot food that smelled heavenly. It was all of his favorite things: corn, green beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes. The sight of the food made his mouth water. “Thank you,” Buck beamed with gratitude.

Hen pulled on massive reins to keep her tears from peaking through at the surprised look in his eyes. “You are going to be okay, Buck,” she told him with a smile. “I better get back inside and eat before we get the next call.”

“Of course,” Buck said, stepping away, placing the precious plate on the front seat to keep it safe from spilling everywhere when he stopped. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” he asked her.

“You can count on it. Bright and early as usual.”

“Tomorrow it is then.”

Buck was driving through the streets of LA, going in the direction of his apartment. He couldn’t wait to get home to devour the delicious meal beside him, and he was almost home. He just had a few more miles to go. The light at the intersection up ahead turned to yellow, then to read, which caused him to come to a stop, but he noticed that he had to put extra pressure on the brake pedal to a rough stop. Before Buck had time to think about the issue, the light turned green, causing the asshole behind him to honk at him in old Los Angeles fashion.

Everything was going fine until an unexpected hissing noise hit Buck’s ears, causing him to jump with alarm because the noise was not a good one. The hissing sound was followed by clunking noises and the sound of something metal snapping that caused him to swerve on the road. Buck had to tighten his grip on the steering wheel to keep his wheels in the center of the road to avoid hitting the other cars on either side of him, but it was hard. He pressed on the brake pedal, but it went straight to the floor. Buck gulped as he released his foot before trying to pump the pedal, but that didn’t help one bit as his speed was starting to pick up. 

Buck turned on his hazard lights, pounding his fist on the horn as he flew through an intersection, praying that he didn’t hit someone. Buck pressed his foot helplessly on the pedal, hoping that something would stop his car because he was quickly approaching a turn in the road. Buck reached underneath the dashboard for the emergency brake and pulled the handle just has his world turned dark.

~~


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Athena swallowed the rest of the thick as tar coffee then tossed the empty cup into the trash. She looked to the clock, checking to see how much time had passed since she had arrived at the hospital. She shook her head as she realizes that she had only been here thirty minutes, but those minutes felt like hours. Athena turned on her heel, walking across that open waiting room, waiting to hear any news on Buck.
> 
> She had just handed a robbery suspect over to the processing officer at a jail when the call came over her radio. It was close to her location, so she decided to go over to assist, thinking it was going to be an ordinary traffic accident only to find it was anything but ordinary. 

_ Chapter Two _

Athena swallowed the rest of the thick as tar coffee then tossed the empty cup into the trash. She looked to the clock, checking to see how much time had passed since she had arrived at the hospital. She shook her head as she realizes that she had only been here thirty minutes, but those minutes felt like hours. Athena turned on her heel, walking across that open waiting room, waiting to hear any news on Buck.

She had just handed a robbery suspect over to the processing officer at a jail when the call came over her radio. It was close to her location, so she decided to go over to assist, thinking it was going to be an ordinary traffic accident only to find it was anything but ordinary. 

~~

_ The moment she stepped out of her car, her heart stopped at the sight of the very familiar mangled up car that had hit the telephone, which was broken in half from the impact. Athena knew that Buck drove that exact same car, but told herself that other people around the city had the same model. However, Athena's fears were confirmed when she watched the responding unit pull Buck's unconscious form from the wreckage. The moment she saw his bloody face, Athena's feet moved on their own accord. _

_ Athena took a deep breath, trying to keep her emotions at bay. She walked over to the group of medics who were working on Buck. There was brace around his neck as they placed him onto a backboard. "Does he have a pulse?" she commanded to the lady medic who was the closest to her. "Answer me!” _

_ The lady medic pressed her fingers to his throat, moving her tips until she paused. "It is much weaker than when we arrived on the scene," she tossed over her shoulder to Athena. Her gaze dropped to Buck's face, completely covered in blood from a cut on his forehead. _

_ Athena nodded. "You should know that this young man is on blood thinners," she said, and the medic looked at her with questioning eyes. "He's a firefighter for the 118. My husband is the Captain," she quickly explained.  _

_ With this newly gathered information, the lady medic turned to her team, helping them place the backboard on the stretcher. "We need to move fast and quickly," she ordered them. _

_ Athena swallowed the rough words as she watched them placed Buck into the back. "Where will you be taking him?" she questioned the lady. _

~~

Athena walked over to the information desk. "Can you tell me if you have any news on Evan Buckley?" she asked the receptionist.

"Are you family of the patient?" the woman inquired, looking over her glasses. 

Athena shook her head. "I'm not, but his sister is on her way. I wanted to see if I can find out any information so I can relay it to her." And for her rapidly running mind.

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm only permitted to give information to the next of kin," she said in a professional tone. She returned back to her computer, telling Athena that she had been dismissed and now it was back to the waiting game.

After a few minutes of pacing, Athena spotted Maddie, hurrying through the automatic doors of the ER. Maddie stopped just inside the doors, looking around until she saw her.

"I came as fast as I could," Maddie said, looking around the room. "What happened? Where is he?" Her eyes were filled with immense worry as she plowed Athena with questions about Buck.

"Baby, Baby," Athena said in her motherly tone, placing her hands on Maddie's shoulders. This caught Maddie's attention. Athena swore that she could feel the frigid fear taking over Maddie's body. Maddie slowly closed her mouth with wide eyes as she listened to the words as she spoke. "Your brother was in an accident tonight."

Maddie's lips trembled as she took in the news. "He's alive right?" she asked her as her eyes grew wider. "He's not dead, is he? Please tell me that is not why you call me here," Maddie begged. "No, no, no. He can't be dead. Buck can not be dead," she sobbed with big tears rolling down the apple of her cheeks.

Athena shook her head as she felt her heart break for the girl before her. "No, he's not dead. He was alive when I arrived on the scene," she assured her, wiping the tears off her cheek. "I wish I had more to tell you, but they won't give me any information on his status."

Maddie let out a deep sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God," she sniffled, looking around the room. "Let me see what I can find out." Maddie pulled away from Athena, going over to the same lady that Athena had spoken to earlier, but before Maddie could ask a question, a doctor walked into the room.

"Evan Buckley?"

The two women hurried over to the doctor, who was looking around the room. 

"Are you the Buckley family?"

Maddie nodded. "We are," she answered, motioning to herself and Athena. "Is my brother okay?"

The doctor gave her a look that was completely void of any emotion. "I'm Doctor Patel. Let's go somewhere more private, shall we?" he suggested, swiping his badge to allow the doors to the back to open. 

"Follow me." The doctor turned around, walking off without another word.

Maddie and Athena shared a look before Athena reached over to take Maddie's hand into hers as they walked into the room behind the doctor.

~~

Athena loved her career as a policewoman. Even on the first day of the academy where she had drill sergeants screaming in her face all day. Over the long course of her job, there were times where she absolutely hated it. And this moment was one of them where she had to be the bearer of bad news to people. But the people on the other side of the doors of the 118 fire station weren't just people. These people who she grew to love over time. People who she now considered a part of her family. Hell, one of those people happened to be her own husband.

Athena pulled the keys from her ignition as she got out of the car. The night air was chilly against her flesh, or maybe the chill of the hospital had never left her. The closed bay doors told her the fleet was filled, so no one was out on calls, which was good because she didn't know if she had the strength to tell the story twice.

She could feel the coffee that she had a couple of hours earlier was beginning to wear off. Her arms felt like lead from sitting in several hard chairs while she and Maddie waited on further news on Buck's conditions until they got answers that they didn't want to hear. She pushed her way into the station. It didn't take long for someone to notice her, and of course, that person would be Hen.

"Thena!" Hen greeted as she made it to the top of the stairs. "I have been wondering about you. The scanner has been nonstop tonight," she said, walking over to her. "Hey guys," she called over her shoulder to Chimney and Eddie, who were watching something on TV. They were utterly oblivious to her presence, and if the time were better, Athena would be shaking her head. "Don't be rude. Come over and say hello. Athena stopped in for a visit."

Hen's bark had the guys jumping to their feet, and soon they were both standing around the island. 

"Would you like something to drink?" Chimney offered kindly. "Sounds like you had a long night. Water, perhaps?"

"No…" 

"Hey Athena, did you hear about that idiot that hit that telephone pole?" Eddie asked her. "That had to be a crazy scene. These drivers in LA are horrible. I thought the people in Texas were bad, but damn this city has them beat. I heard it was a big mess."

  
  


Athena took in a deep breath at the mention of the accident. The sights were still fresh in her mind and would be for a long time. "I'm not really here for a social call," she confessed slowly, looking into all three faces. "Bobby hasn't left yet, has he?"

Chimney shook his head. "He's down in the office doing some paperwork," he answered. Chimney seemed to pick up on the seriousness that must have been on her face. 

Hen's brows furrowed as she looked over Athena carefully. "Is everything okay, Athena?"

"I'm afraid not, Hen," Athena revealed, slipping her cold hands into her pocket. "Would you one of you mind getting Bobby for me?"

"Sure," Chimney nodded, pushing away from the counter, shooting down one of the two flights of stairs.

"What's going on, Athena?" Eddie asked with concern lacing his voice. "Are the kids okay?" 

Athena graced him a smile at the thought of her kids. Her kids were sleeping peacefully in their own bed. "They are fine," she replied. "I am actually here to talk to you guys about that accident, and that is all I am saying until Bobby is up here," she said firmly, telling them not to press the issue.

"Athena?"

Athena turned at the sound of her husband's voice to see Bobby sprinting up the stairs. The sight of him had a weight of dread forming in her stomach. This was going to be harder than she thought. She knew that Bobby was upset with Buck because of the lawsuit, but that didn't mean the boy wasn't wrapped around Bobby's finger. Athena knew that Bobby loved Buck like his son. She could see it in his actions and his words when it came to Buck. And Eddie… Athena didn't know what was going on between Eddie and Buck, but she started to suspect there was something more than friendship happening there. Those two boys were latched onto each other like caramel on a sundae. Athena also knew that this little tiff with the lawsuit would be short-lived because they all loved Buck.

"What's going on?" Bobby asked, placing a hand onto her back. "Chimney says that you have something to tell us."

Athena nibbled on her bottom lip as she felt the weight of the news pressing on her shoulders. "I am here to talk to you guys about Buck," she said thickly against the growing lump in her throat. The name caused them to look at each other, except Eddie wore a sour face.

Eddie snorted at the name. "What did he do this time? Take another lawsuit out on us again? Was one not enough?" he asked in an icy, bitter tone. "Did you come to deliver the papers for him this time?"

Athena cleared her throat, reaching up for Bobby's hand that was resting on her shoulder. She allowed herself to steal an inch of strength from his comforting touch. "I wish I could be bringing you that instead of what I have to tell you," she said to Eddie. 

"Athena, what happened?" Chimney asked, clearly concerned. "You said that you are here because of the accident."

"Accident?" Bobby piped up, looking to his wife. "What accident? Were you in an accident and didn't call me?" He asked her, cupping her jaw in his palm. "Are you okay?" Bobby scanned her face for any bumps and bruises.

"It wasn't me who was in an accident," she assured him, turning to the others. Athena took a deep breath to steady herself as she forced the words to skate her lips. "It's Buck." The moment those words hit the air, a deadly silence washed over the group.

Henrietta's eyes widened as she connected the dots. "Oh my God," she breathed, her voice slicing through the silence. "Buck was the driver who hit that telephone pole, wasn't he?" she asked.

Athena nodded. "Yes, it was."

"Is he okay?" Hen quickly asked, but Athena didn't get a chance to answer because Bobby started speaking.

"Are you sure that it was Buck?" Bobby asked her, sounding unsure. "Buck left the station a couple of hours ago after his shift. I am sure the kid as at home and well. He is probably playing video games as we speak."

"I wish that were true, Bobby," Athena said in a shaky voice. "I watched them pull him from the car, Honey." She told him. The silence came back, and it was deafening. Athena swore that everything around them froze in time, including the four people in her presence. "It was Buck," she confirmed. 

"Is he okay?" Henrietta asked weakly, breaking the silence. 

Athena shifted her eyes to Hen before the dropped to the counter. "You need to listen to me," she began.

Hen crossed her arms. "It's not good, is it? Otherwise, you wouldn't be here to tell us."

Athena shook her head slowly. "No, it's not good," she answered honestly, and it broke her heart to watch the shock rinse the color out of their faces. Athena felt a shift in Bobby's posture, which had her wrapping an arm around his waist for support. "Buck coded twice. Once on the way and the second in the emergency room. He is now in stable condition, but his doctor said that his odds of making it through the night are very slim. The impact caused severe internal bleeding due to the blood thinners and suspect that he may have a brain bleed. They are trying to get the swelling to go down, but right now that is up in the air."

Chimney's head fell forward as he reached up, wrapping an arm around Hen's shoulders. She had covered her mouth with her hand as tears rolled down her face and Eddie... Eddie's face was completely blank. His arms folded across his chest as he stared into the space in front of him with unfocused eyes. 

Bobby sank into the stool beside him, burying his face into his hands. "Oh my God," he croaked into his palms as the painful news clawed its way inside his mind. "Oh my God," he repeated. 

"Damn," Chimney swore out loud, shaking his head. "Did that kid break any mirrors while we weren't looking? He has had the worst luck this year. Maddie knows that he's not allowed to be around anything sharp," Chimney paused as his eyes widened at the mention of his girlfriend. "Maddie… I need to… I need to call Maddie," he stammered, pulling his phone from his pocket.

"Chim," Athena swallowed, placing a hand on his arm, pausing his movement. "Maddie already knows. She's tried to call you several times. Maddie is at the hospital as we speak. I had to call her because they wouldn't release any information to me." She explained, and she called her because Maddie was his sister, and she knew that Maddie would want to be at her brother's side.

" _ Tonto _ ," Eddie growled, shaking his head angrily. "Can't he do anything right for once his life? I have told him several times to watch his speed, and does he listen to me? When I get there, I am going to wake the son of a bitch up and give him a piece of my mind." 

"The accident isn't that only thing I have to tell you about," Athena announced. "While I was waiting to hear from Maddie of any news, I received a call from one of the other officers on the scene. Tool marks were found on his brake lines, and his emergency brake was disabled."

Eddie blinked at this new bit of information. "Wait," he started, narrowing his amber eyes. "Are you implying that the accident wasn't an accident?"

"It appears to be heading in that direction," Athena replied with a shake of her head disgusted by the thought of someone causing harm to someone she had come to love over the last year.

" _ Madre de Dios _ ," Eddie swore as the other could only look on with horror covering their faces.

Hen wiped away her tears. "Who would do such a thing?" she questioned. "Buck has a heart of gold."

"I'm not sure. They did find a set of fingerprints on the lines that they are running through the databases as we speak," Athena said as she went into full cop mode. "Do any of you think of anyone who could have a grudge against Buck?"

"I'm pretty sure that this whole fire station has had a grudge against Buck ever since he filed that fucking lawsuit against us," Eddie answered, regret twinging his voice. Regret from not having the strength to suck up his balls and reach out to his best friend. His best friend who was now hanging onto life with merely a thread that could snap him out of his existence...forever. There were many times where he wanted to go up to Buck to ask him to grab a drink with him or to go to the park with him and Chris. Christopher… If Buck didn't wake up… How the hell was he going to explain this one to him? How the hell was he going to explain to Chris that he has lost another person that he clearly loved? Eddie didn't know many things, but he knew that his son loved Buck. He could see it in the way that boy looked at Buck. The way his eyes lit up at the sound of his name. Chris looked to Buck like he was Superman. What he wouldn't give to see his two favorite people together? Even if it's for a few seconds. Those few seconds would have the overwhelming feeling of home. But now that home was close to being broken beyond the point of repair. Eddie could feel his eyes burning as he thought of the man, imaging his small body in that hospital bed. The man who has inspired him to become a better man himself. The man who was the other half of his world. It was Hen's voice that pulled him from his head.

"You need to see this," Hen announced, pulling her phone from her pocket. She tapped around on her screen a few times before holding it out for Athena.

Athena frowned at her friend as she gathered the phone in her hands before looking to the screen. "What is this?" she asked as she took in the picture of Buck being held against the very car that was in pieces in a hold that was against his will. "When was this taken?"

"Tonight," Hen answered, taking in a deep breath as Bobby stood up to look over Athena's shoulder. "Buck's shift ended at dinner, so I made him a plate of food and took it out to him." Hen went on to explain what she witnessed as when she caught up to Buck and what she heard.

Bobby gave her a disappointed look. "Why didn't you tell me this the moment you got back inside?" he asked her as Athena wrote down the man's name and a description of the incident.

"I wanted to say something, but Buck asked me not to," Hen replied, hating herself for listening to him. "He said he didn't want to cause any trouble."

"That damn kid," Bobby pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why didn't he come to me?" he sent his question to his people. 

Hen shrugged her shoulders. "He probably thought that we wouldn't care," she said.

"What do you mean by that?"

Hen glowered at Bobby. "Are you really asking me that?" she chuckled humorlessly. Hen glanced around at her team. "It's been two months since Buck came back. When was the last time any of us gave that boy the time of day if it didn't involve us yelling at him or assigning him jobs? Buck comes in here, works his shift, does anything we ask him to do, without complaint, and goes home. Hell, we don't even include him at dinner anymore. Hell, I don't even think he eats while he is here. Am I the only one who has noticed how much weight Buck has lost? Or the bags that are constantly under his eyes? I miss Buck and the way those baby blues light up at the sound of an alarm," she said, her eyes filling up with tears. "This team is great and has only gotten better since Buck joined the department because he is the glue that holds us all together."

Bobby's shoulders sagged under the weight of Hen's words. "This is all my fault," he sighed, running his hands over his face. 

Hen reached over, placing a hand on her Captain's arm. "It's all our fault," she told him, and Bobby shook his head.

"No, I should have noticed that something was going on, but I was shielded by my own anger. I could have done something to stop this. Found a way to make sure that he was safe, and I failed. I should have protected him," Bobby mumbled in his hands. "Now, I won't be able to-"

"Quit talking like that," Athena piped up to her husband. "There is still hope," she reminded him sternly, running her hand up and down the man's back. "The doctors may think that Buck will not survive the night, but they don't know that kid like we do, okay? Buck is stubborn. He isn't leaving us without a fight. I know that things have been strained with Buck since the lawsuit, but all off, you are going to set this grudge aside. That boy is still our family, so is Maddie. And our family needs us tonight," Athena declared hotly, pointing her finger to each person. "We are going down to that hospital, and we will hold Maddie's hand until she doesn't need us anymore, am I understood? 

Chimney nodded. "We should already be there. Hell, I should already be there for Maddie," he said, pushing away from the counter. 

"I'm coming with you," Hen said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "So, who's driving? What about you, Loverboy?" she asked Eddie.

Eddie looked at Hen like she had lost her mind. "Loverboy? Why are you calling me that?"

Athena snickered. "Look at him trying to act like we don't know what we're talking about? You know what she means."

Eddie frowned, and Athena could see that he was fighting back a blush. "No, I don't know what you mean," he told her, trying to sound casual.

Chim shook his head. "Hen's talking about the fact that you are so in love with Buck that you can't see straight. Why do you think you have been so moody these last two months? You have been on the fritz with Buck. It didn't take us long to put all the pieces of the puzzle together."

Eddie gaped at them. "You think I am in love with Buck?" he asked, shock filling his voice. "Are you serious?"

Bobby lowered his hands. "Are you still trying to deny it?" he asked him knowingly. "It's okay. We all know! We have known for a while."

Eddie looked away, not meeting anyone's eyes. "So, it's not a problem?" he mumbled, running a hand over his hair. 

"Did we just get a confession?" Athena glanced over to Hen with a warm smile and shook her head. "No, it's not a problem. The only problem I have is losing my 50 bucks every week."

"You guys have been betting on this?" Eddie questioned, placing his hands on his hips. "For how long?"

"Since last Christmas."

"Last Christmas?!"

"Yep. Recently we have been trying to come up with a plan to lock you two in a closet until one of you confessed," Chim said, grinning as Eddie's face reddened to a shade of a ripe tomato.

"Alright, enough of this chit chat," Athena said, picking up her piece of paper. "I am going to take this down to the station. Then, I will meet you all at the hospital." She slid the paper into her pocket, watching everyone gather their things and head for the stairs where each one of them reached the lower level in record time to go see their Buckaroo.

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the wonderful reviews and kudos! 
> 
> Thank you to my beta Destielstan and Bisexualbucks for your help!
> 
> Thank you for this fandom for being the awesome fandom that you are and so glad to be apart of with amazing people!


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maddie loves her brother and will protect him with all her might! The fam gets updated news on their favorite Buckley, but how long will it last?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, but here it is!

_Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep…_

Maddie closed her eyes, listening to the steady sound of the steady beeping of the machine. It was the only thing that was keeping her sane in the deadly quiet room. It was the sound that kept telling her that he was alive. That he was still with her. Maddie wiped at her eyes as she curled up into her chair, looking over to the bed that housed the shell of her baby brother. It was hard for her to take in the many wires that were hooked up to his body. A sight so different from the many other times when she sat by his bedside waiting for him to wake up, but this time… He might not wake up.

Maddie forced those words from her head because she couldn’t allow herself to think that way. She needed to stay positive because if she let those words take up shop, then she might just lose her mind. 

Maddie looked up at the sound of the door sliding open to see the doctor stepping in from the hallway. She got to her feet as he walked over to her. “Doctor Patel?” she asked, trying to mask the fear that was gripping her like a set of cat claws. 

Doctor Patel held up a large folder and opened it up. “According to his latest scan,” he began, looking over the chart before turning his eyes back up to her, “there is no brain bleed. I think what we are looking at is a severe contusion to the brain on his left lobe. This is probably due to the impact from the airbags. I am still concerned with how much swelling is being shown,” he said, showing her the scan. “The next 24 hours will be very critical for him as far as the swelling goes.”

Maddie cupped her mouth, unable to believe the words that she was hearing. “So he is going to be okay?” she asked him.

“The swelling needs to go down first before he is completely in the clear,” Dr. Patel glanced over to the machine. “His current number is stable, and we want it to remain there or drop. If the number does rise, we will have to surgically intervene. Your brother has a long road ahead of him, but his outlook is looking better than what it did several hours ago. I’m sorry that I don’t have anything better-”

Maddie held up her hand to stop him. “You just gave me the news of life, Doctor Patel,” she assured him. “The best news I could have hoped for. Thank you.”

Doctor Patel looked over to his patient. “Your brother is a fighter,” he said fondly.

“That he is,” Maddie agreed, feeling her eyes warming with tears. She was so proud of him and couldn’t wait until she could speak to him again.

“Also, the members of his firehouse are in the waiting room,” Dr. Patel informed her while writing something on his chart.

Maddie’s eyes widened as she looked to Buck. “Will it be alright if I go out and talk to them?” she asked him. “They are probably waiting for an update.”

“I think it will be fine. I’ll tell the nurses to contact you if anything happens,” he told her, walking over to Buck’s bedside.

“Thank you,” she rushed, grabbing her phone, hurrying out of the room. 

The walk to the waiting room was much shorter than the walk to Buck’s hospital room. When she was walking back there, she really didn’t know what to expect. Well, she did being a nurse for so many years, but her mind was in complete denial. She walked in there expecting to see her brother sitting up in his bed, wearing his dopey smiles while flirting with the nurses. But when she stepped inside, Maddie’s heart stop as the reality slapped her in the face like hot bricks. 

Maddie turned the corner into the room, and her brother’s team came into her view. They were sitting together in the back corner, talking amongst themselves. Hen was playing on her phone. Chimney was watching something on the television. Bobby had his head in his hands, and Eddie was hitting the wall with the back of his head. It was easy to see that the waiting was slowly eating at his resolve. Chimney was the first one to notice her when he looked around the room.

Chimney was the first one to notice her and jumped to his feet. “Maddie,” he said, rushing to her side.

Maddie gave him a warm smile, but the moment his arms wrapped around her, she broke down into his shoulder. Violent sobs left her as the warmth of his arms chased the feelings of panic, fear, and grief away as he ran his hand up and down her back. When she felt grounded, Maddie pulled herself back, wiping the tears from the apples of her cheeks and turned the rest of them. Their faces were filled with deep concerned that had her thanking Buck for choosing his profession to bring these wonderful people into their lives.

It brought her a family that accepted her with open arms when her world was in shatters. When her own family wouldn’t even bother to help her with her husband. Her mom always told her that she needed to be a better wife. It was the only way that it would cure Doug of his monstrous ways. That it was her fault. They wouldn’t even get on a plane to come to see their son after he was nearly killed by a bomber mere months ago. Hell, they only bothered with them when they needed someone to berate to make themselves feel better or to beg for money. 

Their dad was exceptionally pissed at Buck for declining the multimillion-dollar offer from the lawyer. After that call, Maddie spent hours trying to get Buck from his head, and his bad thoughts clouding his mind. Their parents didn’t even know who they were as people, and nothing ever seemed to please them either. Maddie wondered if she should call them to let him know but decided that they didn’t deserve this call. She pushed the thought of her parents aside so she could focus on her real family before her.

Maddie let out a few steadying breaths before speaking. “Thank you for coming,” she said, smiling to each one of them, keeping her arm around Chimney’s back as the family surrounded her. 

Bobby gave her a weak smile. “We wouldn’t be anywhere else,” he told her firmly. Hen and Eddie nodded their heads. “What’s the word on Buck?”

“I just saw the doctor a few minutes ago,” Maddie said, placing her hand on Chimney’s chest. “There is no brain bleed.”

This was followed by a string of relieved sighs as Maddie continued on explaining everything that she had just learned.

“Thank goodness,” Hen praised, looking towards the ceiling. “Someone was looking out for our Buckaroo tonight. Whoever you are, thank you!”

Maddie looked around, noticing that they were missing a member. “Where’s Athena?” she asked them.

“Right here…”

They turned to see the police officer walking towards them, carrying a drink carrier with several coffees.

“I took the liberty of getting us some substances since we will be here for a while,” Athena said, passing out the coffees to each one. “How’s our boy?” Athena handed one out to Maddie.

“Thank you,” she sighed, gladly taking a cup from Athena’s offered hands. She took a sip of the coffee. The fresh burn from the bitter liquid was very welcoming as the others gathered around for their own cup. She cleared her throat as she caught Athena up about Buck’s current condition.

Athena’s shoulders sagged as her head fell back, relief filling her soft brown eyes. “Thank Goodness,” she murmured, sinking into Bobby’s side when he pulled her to him. 

“What about you?” Bobby questioned his wife. “Did you hear anything about the prints they found on Buck’s jeep?”

The moment the words fell from Bobby’s lips, Maddie’s eyes shot opened to look at her brother’s boss. “Prints? What prints?” she asked them as the group grew silent very quickly. And it wasn’t a good peaceful silence, but a very eerie one. Bobby and Athena shared a look causing her eyebrows to rise. “What is Bobby talking about, Athena?”

Athena pulled away from Bobby and turned to the younger woman, her face grim. “Maddie…” she began as Maddie’s eyes grew as wide a saucers as Athena watched the girl connect the dots in her mind.

“This wasn’t an accident,” Maddie swallowed tightly. “Was it?” Her voice sounded foreign to her ears, and the dark look in Athena’s eyes was the only confirmation she needed. It caused her mind to go blank, and a loud ringing filled her ears, almost knocking her off her feet. She covered her trembling lips as intense anger filled her veins. “Oh my God,” she whispered against her fingers. “Tell me everything you know,” she hissed. 

“There is not much to go on yet,” Athena began. “But someone has tampered with Buck’s car and left their prints behind. That is all I know for now. The moment I hear something, I will let you know.”

Maddie nodded frowning. “Thank you, and I want their name.”Maddie took in a deep breath, her mind was racing. It was one thing to mess with her, but to try and arm her sweet little brother was another thing. And she wanted a damn to make sure whoever was responsible for her brother’s harm will burn. Hell, she will be the one to light the match.

Athena placed a comforting hand on Maddie’s shoulder. “Trust me, you will because I want their name as well. No one messes with my family and walks away with a scratch.”

Chimney shook his head at her. “Careful, Athena, your mama bear claws are showing.”

Athena turned to the short firefighter. “I’m glad because this mama bear is ready for a fight,” she muttered, holding out a hand that was dressed with long-styled nails. “I mean it, I’m ready.”

This caused the group to break down in chuckles as they pulled each other close in an embrace, holding on to the hope that their youngest member, the one who held them together like glue, will be standing next to them soon. Birthmark and all.

~~

_Beep beep! Beep Beep! Beep Beep!_

Maddie jumped awake at the sound of the screaming alarm. She pushed the thin, scratchy blanket, the nursing staff offered her one after she refused to leave her brother’s side for the night and rushed to his bedside. She took his hand and frowned as she found his hand to be ice cold. Seconds later, a nurse rushed into the room, and she threw commands out the door as she hurried to Buck’s bed, pushing a lever, making it go flat. The room was filling up with people as they entered the room, and suddenly she was driven away from the bed, causing her to let go of Buck.

“What’s happening?” she yelled over the loud chatter of the hospital staff as they surrounded Buck. “What are you doing?” she said, pushing them out of the way so she could get to Buck. 

“Buck!” she cried, reaching for Buck only to be blocked by Dr. Patel, placing a hand on her shoulder, pushing her towards the door. 

“Get her out here,” he ordered, moving to his patient, pulling his stethoscope from around his neck. “Give me,” he started naming off medications that sounded familiar to her, but all she could think about was getting to her brother.

“Tell me what is going on?!”

“Someone get her out of here,” Patel ordered again over the beeping noise, and Maddie found herself being pushed out into the hall, and she pulled away from the woman, her eyes fixated on the doctor.

“No,” she yelled at the woman, moving out of the way. “That’s my brother in there! I can’t leave him!” she continued to tell as the nurse grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her into the hallway where she could only see people’s backs.

“We need room to work,” the nurse said firmly. “Someone will come to talk to you in a few moments,” she told her, but Maddie wouldn’t hear of this nurse’s bullshit. Buck needed her.

“No! No!” Maddie said firmly, but her cries were only ignored as the nurse disappeared back into the room, closing the door behind her. Maddie ran up to the door, pounding on the glass, begging for them to open the door.

“Let me in!” Maddie screamed at the barrier, keeping her from Buck. Tears were streaming down her face as her fists continued to pound on the door. Maddie knew she was drawing attention to herself, but she didn’t care. She promised Buck that would never be separated again, and she was going to keep that fucking promise.

Maddie’s fists froze on the glass, the cold surface piercing her skin, leaving her feeling defeated as the fight left her. The world around her suddenly went quiet, and she could no longer stand being in this hallway. Maddie forced her feet to move in a direction, leading her away from the blasted door. She didn’t care where she went as long as she didn’t have to hear those dreaded words that were coming her way. If she wasn’t there, she would never have to listen to them.

Maddie clutched her chest as pain gripped her like death itself. She felt as if her heart had completely stopped, and she was floating through the air like Casper. It hurt! It hurt so fucking much that she could barely breathe. Her eyes burned under the weight of her endless tears as she continued her trek through the hospital. Her world would never be the same without him. Her throat was tight as sobs begged to be let out, but she held them as she turned the corner, and her eyes landed on a person. ‘What were they doing here?’ she thought to herself. The person spotted her and made their over to her with his arms opened wide. Their eyes were wide with concern, yearning with desperation for an inch of good news. That hope of something that will never come their way and that look broke the damn in her chest, sending forward violent sobs as she wrapped her arms around them.

This person was not supposed to be here because their chief demanded that they go back to work. That their jobs still needed them to be the daily heroes and to keep the city from falling apart. 

“Eddie,” she sobbed into his shoulder. “I think... I think… He’s gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *evil laugh* I love being evil!
> 
> I want to thank everyone for their response to this story, when I was writing it at the beginning, I was not expecting this amazing response! Another chapter will be soon, but tell me what you think and my coffee is done brewing. Be back later!

**Author's Note:**

> The next chapter will be up soon. This isn't beta'd so sorry for any mistakes! Thank you for reading!


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